Iron or steel and process of making or treating same



Patented Dec. 29,1931

UNITED; STATE &- PA TENT OFF f CfE;

JOSEPH R. G. MARSH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS \inon on STEEL AND rRocEss or mxme on. TREATING am No Drawing. I

, not heretofore been obtained. Thus it is any i0 object to not only increase the toughness and tenacity of the iron or steel, to add to its ten-'- sile, torsional and transverse strength and at the same time to increase 1ts strength 1n alternating stress and resistance to abrasion While keeping'the compressive strength high as well as the elastic limits high in all its strengths, but-to'give ita fine grain and great homogeneity.

Other objects and" advantages will appear erein, j ln carrying my ,invention into died; I make use of copper, chromium and nickel, with which the iron or steel istreated while in a molten state, with results as hereinafter described The carbon, silicon, manganese, sulphur, phosphorus and other elements may be varied to meet certain requirements. as in the case of other steels. The metallic copper raises theelastic limit and ultimate load in both steel and'iron, gives resiliency and to some extent hardness, and the chromium also add s'to the ultimate-load andgives the quality of resistance to shock or impact.- The chros miumand' the copper, both refine the grain. This alloy-can be readily roll'ed, forged or otherwise mechanically formed. Deox'idization .isr-by the addition of titaniu'm, vanadium, or, boron, usually in the form of a ferro alloy. The silicon',..manga-- ,nese, .f arbon, phosphorus and sulphur contents are ac uired according tothe customary methods 1 Y j The copper can be added to the cold or molten charge or to. the molten metal, after the ,furnace be he to operate, suflicienttime 'being allowe per to melt and properly'mix withlithe molten metal. The chromium should be added preferably in the form of fefi-o-chromium' after the manganese, or about fifteen minutes be- Chromium about in the latter case toallow the cop--- Application. filed January 10, 1920. Serial No. 350,550.

fore pouring. The, proportion of ferrochromium will depend upon its chromium content so as to provide the chromium pro portion of the formula in any instance. The nickel is added to the cold-- or molten charge or to the molten metal after the furnace begins to operate and before the manganese is added.

As an example of the percentages ofthe ingredients which give good results, I may on cite the following:

, Per cent Chromium 5 about Copper about ;r .85

Nickel about 1.70 85 'SlllCOIl'&bOllll I a I -15 Manganese about j .25 Sulphur about .03 Phosphorous about .03 Carbon about .35 Iron about ..'95.79

This table gives the proportion of'the weight of each ingredient as compared with the total weight of the complete resultant product f It willbe understood that it is the treatment by adding the chromium, copper and nickel,

and thepeculiar steps attending this treat ment which distinguish my invention from heretofore known processes of makin or treating steel; and that; a substance Ina e up 8 0 of any or all of the ingredients of the above list exceptingthe copper, chromium and nickel, or..a .-substance including any other ingredient withiron such as to give it the ordinary properties of-any of the well-known variations of commercial ,alloy steel is to-be considered asa ferro metal or steelr my formula, according to the may be briefly stated as s Thus, above example,

I Percent Copper about :85

.Nickel about i 1.70. 'Ferro metal about; 9660 v The properties due to the nickel this alloyfare'rthe better alloying of the copper and the'chromium, the reduction of segregation of copper and chromium, and the reduction in size of the different crystals in the alloy.. I m9 An alloy manufactured substantially according to the information above set forth is not merely useful in a cast form, but is readily rolled into any of the usual shapes given to iron or steel; whereas any marked variation from the proportions of the elements, especially the copper, chromium and nickel, as herein given, precludes the mechanical Working of this alloy, as by rolling or forging, due to hot shortness, especially if the proportion of the copper is raised. This has been determined by me in actual practice.

To obtain an appreciable effect in accord ance with my invention, the copper and chromium should not be used in proportions much less than about 30% each. On the other hand, if much more than about 1.50% coppcr'is used, the steel is made so hot short that it cannot be successfully rolled; and if more than 3.00% of chromium be used the steel will cost more than the increased results obtained from such excess of chromium would justify. In any instance, the proportion of nickel should not be materially less than the aggregate of the proportions of copper and chromium. Nickel will mix physically with both copper and chromium, and when used in the proportion of two parts by weight of nickel to one part by weight each of copper and chromium, the best results are obtained. However, with maximums of 1.50% of copper and 3.00% chromium, as high as 6.00% nickel may be used.

The. product is highly satisfactory in use where much more expensive steels have heretofore been found indispensable, as for instance, as tool steel, rails, car axles, tension members of railway cars and bridges.

The superiority of my alloy steel over open hearth steel has been demonstrated by The Betehlehem Steel Company at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as shown by the following comparison taken from tests made by its metallurgical department in its report of September 17 1919:

Open hearth steel Saving in cost $3.628. Saving in weight of 163 lbs. and a gain in trength of 1,657 lbs. stress.

The correctness of the above test confirmed by the Lewis Institute, of Chicago,

Illinois, and by the Bureau of Standards,

Washington, D. C.

It will be understood that while I have mentioned some uses for which my improved product is most satisfactory and have specified certain ingredients and proportions of ingredients, including those of the copper,

chromium and nickel, in order to make a full and clear disclosure of my invention, nevertheless there is the possibility of some departure from the precise ingredients and proportions as well as many fields of usefulness not specifically mentioned herein without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention, which, having thus fully set forth, I define in the following claims:

1. alloy steel containing the following elements: copper from 30% to 1.50%, chromium from 50% to 3.00%, nickel from .60% to 6.00% and ferro metal or steel from 98.80% to 90.50% and having non-hot-short rollable properties when combined from the minimum to the maximum range, substantially as described.

2. An alloy containing, in proportion to the total weight of the alloy, a ferro metal about 96.60%, copper and chromium each about .85% and nickel about 1.70%.

3. An alloy containing in proportion to the total weight of the alloy, chromium about .85%, copper about .85%, nickel about 1.70%, silicon about 15%, manganese about 25%, sulphur about 03%, phosphorus about 03%, carbon about 35%, and iron about 95.79%.

4. The process of treating a ferro metal which consists in mixing in a melted state said metal and copper and nickel, and afterward mixing chromium with the combination of said metal and copper and nickel while said combination and the chromium are in a melted state.

5. The process of treating a ferro metal which consists in mixing in a melted state said metal and copper and nickel, then mixing with the combination of said metal and copper and nickel a proper proportion of manganese while said combination and said manganese are in a melted state, and then mixing with this combination chromium while this combination and said chromium are in a melted state.

- JOSEPH R. C. MARSH. 

